Day 343: These are lobsters, Pacific Northwest style. They are quite popular with collectors in the area, but I do not eat them. To be entirely accurate, the redness is due to a parastitic overgrowth of Hypomyces lactifluorum on an unidentified Russula, and therein lies the reason for my reluctance. Hypomyces affects a wide range of Russula species, some of which can cause dire gastric distress. Since I have no way of knowing which Russula is underneath the Hypomyces, it seems only prudent to avoid them entirely. Perhaps this is an over-reaction on my part, but it is one born from science. If, as they say, you are what you eat, lobsters have the potential for becoming a bad experience. Although I have never heard of anyone finding out all too late that their particular lobster happened to have been eating Russula emetica, it's a risk I'm unwilling to take.
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